For more than a century-and-a-half, what is now known as Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i has supported businesses and their interests in the Islands, as well as the broader community.
Founded in 1850, the chamber — the second oldest U.S. chamber organization west of the Rockies — is today a statewide nonprofit that advocates for business in Hawai‘i and represents more than 2,000 members across the Islands. It'll mark its 175th anniversary in October.
To celebrate the milestone, the chamber will host "An Evening of Legacy" gala from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom.
Individual tickets are $179 for Young Professional members, $199 for chamber members and $219 for non-members. The deadline to register is Sept. 29. You can find more information here.
The event — which elevates the organization's annual membership luncheon — will include dinner and live entertainment, an auction and recognition awards. It'll also spotlight the chamber's statewide leadership and its 2030 Blueprint.
The chamber has a storied history and to reach the 175th anniversary is certainly a milestone to celebrate.
"Just going through the history books, it's very inspiring [to see] the foresight that founders and the leaders after that [had] in being part of the heart and soul of building our economy here and being a part of that," President and CEO Sherry Menor recently told Aloha State Daily. "And fast-forward to the present day, continuing that momentum and recognizing even more so how important it is to continue that momentum for our future generations and our state's economy."
Early days
The chamber's start came as Pacific trade boomed following the California gold rush in the late 1840s.
In the mid-1800s, O‘ahu's population was estimated to be less than 25,000, "Years of Progress: The Remarkable Story of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii," a history of the chamber complied by Maxine B. Sandison in 1998 noted.
Merchants here were "accustomed to supplying local needs and the seasonal visits of the whaling fleets which arrived in the spring and fall," but the gold rush spurred "overwhelming demand" for food and supplies for the gold-seekers coming into the Sacramento Valley, the history reads. People and goods began to move back and forth between Honolulu and San Francisco and stores in Honolulu quickly sold out.
The business boom peaked in 1849 and new organizations were established to meet the demands on business, agriculture and community services, the history notes, including the Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, which was later renamed Chamber of Commerce Honolulu (and even later, dubbed Chamber of Commerce Hawai‘i).
In August 1850, King Kamehameha III declared Honolulu the capital of his kingdom, Sandison wrote, and R.C. Wylie, the minister of foreign affairs, and Chief Justice William Lee, with approval of the king's government, suggested to a number of the city's businessmen that they form a chamber of commerce.
On Oct. 15, 1850, about 20 men — including merchants from Lahaina and other ports — met and signed the constitution of the new Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.
"Originally established to unify local merchants and advocate for Hawai‘i’s commercial interests, the Chamber has since evolved into a driving force for economic development, workforce initiatives and policy advocacy," a recent announcement from the chamber noted.
Evolution
Over time, the chamber evolved into a statewide organization "due to the impact that it made in the entire state," Menor told ASD.
Since its inception, the chamber says it has been "instrumental in major political and economic developments." It led the negotiations for the first U.S.-Hawai‘i reciprocity treaty in 1867, authored the Hawaiian National Banking Act in 1884 and advocated for statehood in 1959, according to the announcement.
Over the past 175 years, the Chamber has also helped create some of Hawai‘i's legacy institutions, including the Retail Merchants of Hawai‘i in 1901, the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau in 1903, Aloha United Way in 1919, Blood Bank of Hawai‘i in 1941 and Crime Stoppers Honolulu in 1981, among others. And since 1923, the chamber has served as a trustee to manage the Public Health Fund, which awards grants to nonprofits.
"While the merchant men recognized that yes, it's all about commerce, it was more than that," Menor says. "It was about community. How do they build community? That's why ... they started a number of these community-based organizations, because once you have a healthy community, then you have a healthy economy."
Menor says she's proud of how the chamber played a role in forming Hawai‘i's economy and expanding its footprint in the community through the community-based organizations.
"While our mission is to advocate for business, our goal is to go beyond that," she continued. "It's more to advocate for our community so we can build a healthier economy for all the people of Hawai‘i."
Menor — the youngest and first woman to be named president and CEO of the chamber — was appointed to her role in September 2013.
"I'm certainly grateful and honored to be a part of an organization that I truly believe in," she says. "When I took on this job as the first female president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, I knew it was a huge undertaking. But, as with anything, you just focus on the mission, as well as believing in the mission.
"My mom owned a small business in Hilo, so I recognized how important it was to support our local businesses and recognized the struggles and challenges that our local businesses go through here," Menor continued. "For me, it was an honor to be a part of the organization and eventually lead the organization."
Menor, however, says that the chamber still recognizes the importance of continuing to innovate, challenge the status quo and to come up with new initiatives to expand its footprint in the community — in addition to its advocacy for business and education and workforce development initiatives.
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
Stephanie Salmons can be reached at stephanie@alohastatedaily.com.
